Building-wall and concrete block for same.



, PATENTED MAR. 21, 1905.

W. H. DUNN. BUILDING WALL AND CONCRETE BLOCK FOR SAME.

APPLICATION FILED OUT-12, 1904.

I I avwumloe ///a/77 607/" Jam/7 attozmur 7 2/911 wzoom 1 UNITED, STATES Patented March 21, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

W'ILLIAM HENRY DUNN, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

BUILDING-WALL AND CONCRETE BLOCK FOR SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,296, dated March 21, 1905.

Application filed October 12.1 904. Serial No. 228.217.

To all whom, it nan/y concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY DUNN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have. invented certain new and useful Improvements in Building-Walls and Concrete Blocks for Same; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

For the Walls of buildings I have produced a concrete block in which vertical and horizontal air-spaces are so disposed as to give the block the required thickness, strength, and durability to withstand the crushing Weight put upon it in the wall and to render the air-spaces continuous around each block and also continuous through the wall, and in the claim appended hereto I will point out the precise improvement.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my improved building-block, in Which Figure 1 shows in top view a portion of a wall comprising a concrete block and part of two joining-blocks, showing the separate and distinct air-spaces formed between oblique walls which serve as a truss to give strength to the inner and outer faces of the block. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of three courses of a wall, showing in dotted lines the continuous vertical air-spaces intersected by the horizontal air-spaces. Fig. 3 shows in perspective one of the blocks embodying my invention. y

The blocks are oblong and of dimensions to suit the size of the building, and each block is formed with a single row of air-spaces 1, extending vertically through it, of approximate triangular form in cross-section and are separated from each other by oppositely trussforming oblique walls 2, standing in the length of the block and converging and meeting on alternate sides of the air-spaces. The apexes 3 of the spaces stand alternately toward the inner and the outer faces of the block, While the sides 4 of each space stand alternately toward the inner and the outer faces of the block. The degree of obliquity in the space dividing walls 2 is such that the ends of the spaces will lap with each other at 5 5 on opposite sides of the oblique walls, and thereby render the vertical air-spaces practically continuous in a horizontal direction throughout the block, so that a line drawn transversely through the wallv at any point Will pass through and into one of these air-spaces, so that moisture penetrating the wall will enter one of these airspaces at any point in the length andheight of the wall.

At its top and bottom the block is formed with horizontal air-spaces or depressions 6 6, which intersect the vertical air-spaces and with them form an air-space all round the block. The triangular form of the vertical air-spaces-gives them suflicient transverse-area to allow the mason to put his hand through them and, in connection with the horizontal depressions, to permit him to grasp the bottom of the block to lift and to set it in place, one of the Walls 7 of each triangle being parallel with the side of the block, and thereby forming convenient handholds between each oblique wall, so that the hand can grasp either side of the three Walls of the space. Looking atIFig. 2 it will be noticed that the depressions 6 6 open into the vertical air-spaces, and

this forms the handholds 8 8 along the depressions of the top and bottom of the block.

While the vertical and the horizontal airspaces are continuous around each block, they are also continuous through the wall. Hence in coursing in the usual manner for bonding, one stone overlapping the stone in the lower course one-half the length, leaves the Vertical spaces in alinement.

While the arrangement of the vertical airspaces gives convenient and economical handling for the block, the triangular form of said spaces gives a disposition to the oblique walls whereby their ends 9 9 meet in pairs on alternate sides of the row of said spaces and form a series of trusses along the middle of the block which greatly increases the strength of the block, and it is this truss-like disposition of the oblique Walls that gives the advantage of the arrangement of a single row of sepaloo walls in the length of the block one or more steel wires 10 may be molded within the oblique Walls and in the body of the block, extending horizontally in zigzag form through each Wall the length of the block and terminating in bends forming anchors 11 11 at the ends of the block, and While the oblique Walls meeting in pairs alternately along the middle of the block are effective and sufficient to give it strength transversely and longitudinally the embedded Wires when used serve as strengthening-ties in connecting the oblique walls in the length of the block. Each end of the block terminates in a half-vertical triangular recess, so that when the blocks are set in the Wall the abutting ends form the full triangular space.

I prefer to provide the top and bottom faces of the blocks with grooves 12, in which the mortar hardening Will form a key, and thereby lock the blocks together. The 0 uter Wall forming faces of the blocks can be finished in any desired style and the inner Wall may be plastered directly on itsface (Without furring and lathing) without injury from dampness.

I claim A building-block comprising a body portion having a single row of vertical air-spaces and oblique walls forming a truss along the middle of the block separating said airspaces, and horizontal depressions in the upper and lower faces of the block communicating with said vertical air-spaces.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM HENRY DUNN.

Witnesses:

WALTER SAMUEL DUNN, WADE HAMPTON HOWARD. 

